


Beings Of the Air

by DreamsPsyche



Series: Octavinelle Headcanons [1]
Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Childhood Friends, Crowley Being Crowley, Gen, Identity Issues, Magic, Magic School, Mermaids, Origin Story, Pre-Canon, Transformation, blood mention, combines the disney version and original version kind of, copious references to the little mermaid, scavinelle, some azul/ace if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:07:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24097798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamsPsyche/pseuds/DreamsPsyche
Summary: At Night Raven College, there are no applications and no enrollment. Its legendary ebony carriage is said to only come for the most skilled magicians. From the mountains to the savanna to the sea, none is exempt from its path, guided by ancient magic. For many, the college is more of a home away from home, where everyone is treated equally. The carriage even changes to accommodate a plethora of species. But truly, no one knows when or if the carriage will come for them, and it somehow seems to show itself at the time one least expects it. This is the story of three of those unexpected students.
Series: Octavinelle Headcanons [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1742206
Comments: 5
Kudos: 95





	1. Evening Glow

**Author's Note:**

> Me? A serious fanfic? It’s more likely than you think. Really I just wanted to write a story about Octavinelle boys turning into humans for the first time and being new students at NRC, but it ended up becoming this...thing. It’ll probably be a long, multi chapter fic, depending on how many headcanons I can think up. Prepare for a lot of non-canon stuff and a lot of fumbling after taking a long break from writing fanfiction.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Azul and Floyd visit a special place and see the surface.

“Azul~” the tiny eel, Floyd, whispered into his classmate’s ear. Or was it Floyd? Azul honestly had a hard time telling him and his twin apart, seeing as they had a similar hairstyle and near identical features.

“What is it? Can’t you see I’m busy?” the octopus huffed, putting his study tablet down. Truly, history was his least favorite subject. And in recent generations, the history of land societies was added to the curriculum. Why study a faraway place he would never visit? In truth, he would rather learn magic and alchemy, but an octopus mermaid studying that was just too stereotypical. The other kids had told him so, even though he wasn’t sure why it was such a bad thing to do things others had done before. He was in middle school now, and had made a name for himself as the up and coming master magician, but instead of disliking him, many of the kids now feared him.

“Azul, come play with me!” Typical. Having met a few years before, Azul knew that when Floyd was in one of his moods, there was no getting through to him. He placed the stone tablet back into his pot for safekeeping and left his comfortable hidey-hole.

“Where’s Jade?” the tiny octopus asked.

“Hunting!” Floyd replied. It sent a shiver down Azul’s spine. Being very solitary creatures that matured early, eels had to hunt for their food from a young age, so it made sense that one of the two would hunt while the other rested so they could bring food back to their family. Still, it didn’t comfort him that their daily diet likely had some octopus meat, even if it was taboo for merpeople to cannibalize each other. Lost in his own thoughts, Azul absentmindedly followed Floyd across the coral reef. Azul had to be careful here: it was far too easy for one of his tentacles to get caught or pierced on the coral. Though he would never say it out loud, he truly envied Floyd, with his long tail able to maneuver with ease around the coral and rocks. Too late, Azul realized that Floyd was leading him to a place he had never seen before. An even colder, darker part of the ocean.

“Floyd. What is the meaning of this? Don’t tell me you got lost.” Azul asked. He tried to sound nonchalant about it, but Floyd let out a whine and turned around to look at his companion.

“Jade and I found a new place we thought you would like, and so-I wanted to surprise you, Azul.” he choked back a whimper. 

“Why? You know that’s dangerous. There’s no way my parents would let me run off to such a place and-”

“Azul. It’s a place of history. Real history, not the kind you see in the museum. There are... objects from the land there.” Human objects. In a secluded place. From history. His mind was swirling with thoughts of the young mermaid from the old legend of Atlantica...surely, that couldn’t be it…

“So c’mon, Azul! We’ll just take a little trip to the depths to see and come back up again-it’ll be very fun!” The octopus sensed that he didn’t have much of a choice. Better they go together than Floyd go alone, he supposed. It wasn’t the first time Azul had ventured away from home, and it wouldn’t be the last.

The trip to the cave took longer than either had expected, with Azul cursing his slower, more cumbersome body yet another time. The sky had already gotten a little darker before they got there, making the cave look even more ominous. They had long passed the place where the coral grew, long and colorful. This cave was worn by over a century of damage, the opening barely visible next to piles of rocks and debris. Yet still, there was a small hole near the base of the cave, probably cleared out from when Jade and Floyd had found it earlier. Why they would go so far away from home was still a mystery to him, and he wasn’t sure if the eels would ever tell him. What mattered was that he could finally confirm if his suspicions were true or not.

Floyd let out a little whoop of excitement as he slid into the cave, without a care in the world. Getting all of Azul’s body inside proved to be a bit more difficult, but once he constricted all of his tentacles at once, he was able to slide inside. The cave was small, circular and of a modest size, but very, very tall. And there was a light, shining from the surface. Did it go to the surface of the sea-? Azul didn’t get to think about it, as Floyd grabbed his wrist and pulled him around to show him everything.

“Look, Azul! This is the s-silverware Jade and I found earlier!” he said, stumbling over the unfamiliar word. Floyd put one of the implements in Azul’s hand-it was dirty and rusted, but still had the shape of the relic from the museum. What was the word for it? He couldn’t remember. On land, people apparently used things like this to eat with, though how they did, Azul could never guess. Looking around, there was a large collection of various objects like jars, plates, figurines, and even some items Azul had no name for, mostly covered in sand and rust. Floyd entertained himself by examining the items, picking some up and wondering at their purpose. Azul was instead awestruck. Someone had lived here. And not only lived here, but left a treasure trove of items behind, touched by nothing except the forces of water and time. Azul was now even more certain that this place had to do with the legend of the mermaid who helped to unite land and sea. It was almost humbling that a member of the royal family would choose a place as modest as this to keep their things. Speaking of things, there was one large object in a dark corner that piqued Azul’s interest. He crawled over to it to inspect and felt its surface, which appeared to be smooth stone. The statue was dilapidated and barely standing, but its construction did not resemble the statues in Atlantica. The lower part of the statue was mostly intact, and on it Azul could see a humanoid figure with...a pair of legs. A statue from the human world in a cave at the bottom of the ocean was not what Azul had expected to find, but before he could process it, Floyd came up from behind and grabbed his wrist again.

“Come on Azul! Let me show you the best part!” The octopus boy let out a yelp as he was pulled to the very top of the cave, towards the light coming from the top. The light had turned deep orange, basking the both of them in an evening glow as they swam higher and higher. The opening at the top of the cave was only small enough for one of them, so Floyd let Azul surface first. His enthusiasm was still strong as he assured Azul the view was incredible. The octopus stuck his hand out first, and it was exactly as he had thought: it led right to the surface of the sea. Slowly sticking his head out, he got a view of the orange sky. 

The air felt cold. The sky seemed to stretch on forever, and from this perspective there was nothing there but the sea’s unbroken surface and the coastline far off in the distance, next to a human city. Did humans really live like this, with all this space and the sky always looming over them? Something about the idea made him queasy-Azul preferred the solace of a small, dark place where nothing could hurt him. Out here, he felt like a hermit crab exiting its shell. But maybe, if he could explore that coast, things could be different. If only. Azul receded underwater quickly, looking back at Floyd.

“So, how was it? Isn’t the evening sky beautiful, like a brightly colored sea slug?” Floyd asked before letting out a chuckle. 

“Yes it was lovely, but it felt lonely and-” Wait. Evening. “FLOYD! We left in the afternoon! My parents will be furious with me if they know we’ve been out in an unfamiliar place all day!” He could feel their disappointment even now. He already ran away from home often, but had never gone this far.

“Aww, isn’t it normal for middle schoolers to have a little adventure~? You’re no fun, little octopus.” Floyd cooed, curling around Azul’s waist. Oh, not this again. Azul thought. Not now. When Floyd was wrapping himself around something, nothing good ever came of it.

“You’ll get in trouble, too, you know. My parents will probably call you a bad influence and keep us from hanging out. So get off me before we float to the bottom of this cave and hit our heads against something!” He wasn’t meaning to raise his voice as much as he did, but it made something inside Floyd retreat and he released his grip, letting Azul down. “So, are you going to go back with me?” the octopus boy said.

A prolonged silence. “Don’t wanna.” said Floyd. Of course. He was always, always like this. If Floyd didn’t want to do something, it would take every fish in the sea and then some to convince him otherwise. But this wasn’t negotiable. Jade had surely noticed he was gone by now. 

“If you want, we can come back later and inspect it again,” said Azul. Floyd stayed silent at the top of the cave, pouting. Somehow, Azul felt like any word he could say would just make it worse, but of course he just had to open up his mouth again one more time and say “I don’t want to just leave you here.” Floyd seemed a little touched by this, as his ear fins perked up. In truth, Floyd wanted nothing more than to sink into the walls of the cave and never be seen again, after Azul had yelled at him. But yes, Jade and Mr. and Mrs. Ashengrotto were waiting for them, with a meal too, hopefully. So just this once, he willed his shaking arms to lean forward and his tail to swim downwards until he met Azul at the bottom of the cave again. Managing his emotions could be easy. Sometimes. The two made their way across the sea once again, but Floyd insisted on holding Azul’s hand the whole way through, even if it slowed them down a little bit.


	2. Starboard Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jade, Floyd, and Azul search for ingredients for a potion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter is dumb I got lazy writing it

Months went by. Azul had been grounded for a few weeks and wasn’t able to see Jade or Floyd or go out during that time. But truly, his mind still lingered on that cave. It had occurred to him that he could have brought something back from there and made a contribution to history. Be looked at as a hero, perhaps. But, since there was no way he could go that far without his parents finding out, the cave’s secrets stayed hidden. Maybe it was better that way, to leave parts of history untouched. Those items were there for a reason, after all. 

In the meantime, he did what he did best: study potion making. At such a young age, he already knew basic potions for curing illnesses, influencing emotions, and inducing unconsciousness for a particularly nasty surprise. Of course, most of these potions weren’t used for his own sake, but were instead for deals with others. While only being in his last year of middle school, Azul was already feared by much of the student population for the extremely powerful favors he could provide. But the most difficult and exciting potions and spells were those involving partial or complete body modification. He didn’t usually give these out to just anyone, since they were some of the easiest to mess up. He wasn’t proud enough of his work yet to just give it out to people, even if his parents were impressed with his transformation abilities. Azul’s most long-lasting project was his most ambitious yet: perfecting a potion that could turn mermaids human. Before the sea witch’s disappearance, the spell she had created became known to many underwater magicians, and the recipe was preserved after she was long gone. Azul had never gotten to try such a potion, and he was too afraid to test every practice batch on himself. He did try some of them on Jade and Floyd for fun, but all it ever did was change their skin or hair color temporarily (or give them a rash-Azul had a lot of apologizing to do after that). But after doing all the research he could, he felt at least a little more confident. That was the plus side of having a lot of alone time and dedication. 

The unfortunate downside of making such a drastic transformation spell was the ingredients. Mermaid to human potions specifically required human DNA in order to work. Luckily, just about anything with DNA would work-hair, saliva, dead skin cells, or blood for permanent transformations. Where on earth would Azul get something like that? He had never gotten close enough to one to ask for something like that. In typical Azul fashion, though, this time he had a plan.

The beginning of summer was coming, and with it would bring tourists and cruise ships to the open ocean. Azul remembered how terrifying it was the first time he saw one of the ships pass overhead, when he wasn’t even in school yet. The way it blocked out the sun, bigger than even a whale. This time, it would be the people on the ship watching out for him. It wasn’t difficult to get Jade and Floyd on board with the idea, since they, too, were fascinated by the land and the people that lived on it. The basic idea was to find a passing ship small enough to get close to, find some remnant of what they needed (Azul was thinking stray hairs), and keep it in a vial to take back home. Easy. It did pain Azul to go out just after being grounded by his parents, but it was simply the best possible timing. (At least, that’s the excuse he would use.)

The trip to the surface was mostly uneventful. They could easily tell if they were near the tourists by hearing the jet streams and motors of their boats. Floyd took it upon himself to scare the daylights out of some of the boaters by breaching next to them. While most humans in this world knew of merpeople, it was still a shock to see one at the surface. Azul, however, was all business. He was to get as close to the humans as possible without setting them off and then he would leave and act like nothing had happened. Oh, how he loathed being out in the warm air like this. It dried out his skin.

After a bit of time, Jade found what they were looking for; a ship full of people, small but not too small. On the boat was what appeared to be a large family, mostly adults, but what caught Azul’s eye was a boy around his age walking around on the deck. He had coral-red hair, and red starfish eyes. The boy went up to another, older boy-his brother?-and the two of them walked to the stern of the boat and looked out beyond the railing. In another life, he could have been this boy, Azul felt. Blending in and not standing out. After a short conversation, the older boy walked away, leaving the younger one behind. Azul decided this would be the best time to try...something. It occurred to him that this would be the closest he had ever been to a human before. The boat stopped for a bit, and for just a moment, he dared to try. He surfaced next to where the boy was and said hello.

“Wow! A bonafide merman! What brings you to this part of the world?” the human boy. What a dork, Azul thought, oblivious to the fact that he was possibly the dorkiest merman around.

“People watching.” the octopus said in reply, which made the boy laugh.  
“What’s your name, Mr. Calamari? Do you have names where you come from?”Rude. What a forward boy. Azul suspected that he wasn’t trying to be mean though, and was just a bit of a scatterbrain.   
“Azul” he said tersely.

“Wow, blue like the ocean, right? Uh...the name’s Ace.” the human boy replied. He sounded awkward, and it made sense. If only they could talk to each other on equal terms, instead of having Ace look down on him. But, trying to get on deck now would just be an inconvenience. Now came the real hard part. How would he get what he needed from this Ace?

“Oi, Azul, what’s that on your face? Is it...ink?” Azul flinched immediately. Another annoying question from this doofus...but yes, he was correct. Unlike regular octopi, Azul’s ink came mostly from his eyes. When he was a very little kid, it wasn’t uncommon to see him with trails of ink running down his face. Being a middle-schooler, Azul would like to think he had outgrown that impulse, but months of being grounded had started to wear on him. The only real friends he had were Floyd and Jade, and without them, a part of him felt lost. 

“Here. Take this.” Ace got out a handkerchief with a red heart stitched into the corner and held it downwards. “Just don’t soak it in the water. I’ve got others, so you can take it.” Truly, Azul had never seen such an object before, but he assumed it was supposed to be for wiping his ink away. How sad it must be to not have the water dissolve your tears. And then it occurred to him-if the cloth was used, then it could have some of Ace’s DNA on it. But would it be enough for the three of them?

“So are you going to sing me a song or something?” Ace asked nonchalantly. This was it. The chance for a deal.  
“Only in exchange for...a lock of your hair. I would truly love a memento of my time at the surface.” Azul said in his most honeyed voice. Ace was initially surprised, but gave a small, genuine smile and said he would go in the back and cut off some of his hair. Azul swore he could see the boy blush a little, perhaps he was smitten with the merpeople like in those legends from long ago. If only everyone was this easy to string along.

“Jade. Floyd.” Azul called out to the two of them, who were making lively conversation with a lone boater. “Fetch me the vials.” It was lucky that he ran across a young boy so naive. He wouldn’t know what he would have done if the three of them went this far for nothing.

Ace made good on his promise, and came back with a lock of his firecracker hair. He threw it down and Jade caught it in his clawed hand. “Woah, what kind of fish are you two?” he said to Jade and Floyd, who were waiting behind Azul patiently.

“Eels.” Jade said, smiling.   
“Wow, I didn’t know eel mermaids existed-” Before he could go on, one of the women on the boat called out to Ace, beckoning him into the cabin. “Goodbye, merpeople! Thanks for talking with me.” Ace said to them just before running off.   
Jade put the lock of hair in the vial and said “Another successful deal, eh Floyd? Glad we got to be involved this time.”  
Floyd was pouting. “He was way too easy. It wasn’t fun at all.”  
“It’s alright, Floyd. The next deal will be much more entertaining, I’m sure of it” Azul replied dramatically.

The three of them traveled back to their homes, vial of hair in tow. Azul wasn’t sure if he would ever meet Ace again, but at least he provided a necessary step on the ladder to perfecting his most complicated spell.


	3. Sea Foam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the trio make their way to land as humans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the great reception to this fic! I still have trouble writing these characters but I’m glad it’s entertaining people. Got a little lazy writing this chapter but we’re getting closer to the end. The next couple of chapters will involve a timeskip (and the summary will finally be relevant).  
> I made this whole fanfic just so I could write the transformation scene and I’m not sorry.

Azul’s parents were not the strict sort. Not at all. Both of them grew up poor and took out a loan to buy a property on the outskirts of Atlantica, in order to start their own business. With their living quarters on the second floor, Azul grew up with the family business as a constant presence. His father, Flavian, and his mother, Varda, spoiled Azul as much as they could when he was a kid, in an effort to give him a better life. But, their son was more often unapologetic about this than not. Fat kids were always some of the first targets for bullying, after all. Some people would call him spoiled, but it was just his parents’ way of showing him love. Nowadays, he was more distant from them, but that didn’t stop him from confiding in them sometimes.

“Mom, Dad...I want to visit the surface. As a human.” They didn’t react as strongly as he thought, but there was shock in their faces.

“Magic for such transformation is so rare...are you sure you’re prepared?” Flavian asked, worry in his bushy, upturned eyebrows.

“It certainly won’t be permanent-it’s just a day trip. Like going out with my friends.” Azul replied, his voice not wavering a bit.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re getting those eel boys involved in this…” Flavian scoffed.

“It’s to make sure I’m safe, Dad!” Azul said, losing a bit of his cool. “If they’re with me I can make sure we don’t stray too far away or get lost or hurt.”

“Flavian.” Varda intervened. “He’s clearly thought this through, and you have no right to get angry at him like this.” she said matter-of-factly. “He spent all this time learning how to make this potion and if he knows what he’s doing, he’ll be perfectly safe!” That was mostly true, Azul thought. He couldn’t just test out the human transformation potion at the bottom of the sea if it was going to actually work. But, he was glad his mother was on his side.

“If you want, you two can...accompany me to the surface.” Azul tried to bargain with them.

“Oh, it won’t be necessary for both of us to join you, dear, at least one of us will have to watch over the restaurant.” His mother replied, jovial as ever.

“Yes, then you can stay here and work and I can go on a little day trip this weekend.” Azul said, smiling. Flavian looked uncomfortable for a bit, but after a few seconds, he slowly nodded his head. He was probably still against this idea, but for the time being he wouldn’t bug Azul about it. Azul rushed to his room immediately to prepare to meet Jade and Floyd.

* * *

“There won’t be permanent changes. It should only wear off after a day or so.” Azul reassured the twins, cooped up in his small room (four meters really seemed a lot longer when two eels that size were sitting next to you in a small, cramped space). Suddenly, he was remembering why they usually talked outside.

“How fascinating. This should prove to be fun, eh Floyd?” Jade said with a devilish smirk on his face. Floyd perked up immediately.

“Sounds very fun, Azul~. Besides, a little fry like you needs protection, right? Your skin might get dried out.” Floyd responded, with a face that implied much more than just protection. What he was thinking of doing, Azul could never guess.

“Besides that, we can’t just go and do whatever we please without consequences. It’s not like we have a map of the land to consult, Azul. I thought you were just testing out the potion?” Jade questioned.

“Yes, that’s true, but...it would be a waste if we didn’t actually make use of it...you understand? Might as well see what we can. Think of it as an adventure.” Azul thought he was being reasonable at least. In truth, thinking about going forward with this plan gave him as many mixed emotions as that night at the top of that cave did.

“Fufufu. That’s our Azul, always forward thinking.” Jade laughed.

“Maybe if this works out, you and your family can open a business on the surface!” Floyd half-joked, putting a hand on Azul’s shoulder.

Azul sighed. “Floyd, I admire your entrepreneurial spirit, but that’s far too unrealistic. We would need a constant supply of ingredients for the potion and enough money to do so, which we don’t have. Besides, I would probably have you help out anyways.” He said, with a smirk on his face. Floyd faked shock for a bit and pouted, shrinking away from Azul. He was just trying to say something funny.

“But how will we know if it works? You’re not saying we should go to the surface again and still risk failing, are you?” Jade asked again. Azul didn’t really know what to say to that. That was his Jade, always thinking ahead. He thought, and thought, and finally, the memory of the cave gave him an idea. 

“You remember the cave that we found, yes? Well, there was a hole at the top that led directly to the surface! If we use that, it can make it easier to leave if the potion doesn’t work.”

“And if it does work?” Jade cocked an eyebrow.

“Then we swim.” Azul said.

“Swimming like the land people do…” Floyd couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence. There was truly a sense of danger in this plan if it didn’t work. But at the end of the day, the three of them believed in each other. They weren’t completely helpless little boys anymore, even if they had a lot of growing to do.

The trip to the cave was a tense one. Azul, vials of potion in tow, eyed his handiwork repeatedly as they hurried safely inside. Nothing inside the cave was touched, all of the knick-knacks and keepsakes still in place. He considered holding Folyd and Jade’s hands as they used the potion, but something in him felt against it.

Azul abandoned all inhibitions and drank the potion. It tasted like salt and mollusks and wood and underneath it was an aftertaste carrying the scent of the boy from the boat. Ace, was it? His senses were all blurring together and he couldn’t remember anything but seeing Floyd crash into Jade as they both fell to the ground after drinking the potion.

The first difference Azul experienced was the gradual changing of his complexion. He was well aware that humans generally didn’t have purple-gray skin, but seeing the pale blotches forming on his body grow and consume all of his human half made him feel more alienated from his body. The black patches of flesh on his upper body lightened and became softer to match the rest of him, and for a few moments, he resembled one of those two-armed merpeople that were commonly seen around the capitol. However, this was only the beginning of the transformation. Six of Azul’s tentacles started shriveling and crumbled into nothingness, falling off into the water. It was enough to make Azul lose his balance and fall down onto his side, only just barely propping himself up with his arms. His wide hips, already significantly smaller from the tentacles being removed, became even more compact, making his figure into a solid rectangle. The remaining two tentacles lengthened and stiffened, being filled with hard bone and muscle and forming themselves into what eventually would become his new legs. The suckers receded into his body, which made him feel even more delicate than he already was. The tips of his tentacles lengthened and grew into two small, graceful feet. The skin on his new legs, too, was replaced with human flesh, a process that started from the inside out. His legs retained the mildly fat-mildly-skinny physique he had, with a tiny bit of pudge to his thighs. By the time that process had finished, Azul’s body was near unrecognizable, save for the curly mop of white hair on his head and his bright azure eyes. 

He felt much...smaller than before. Smaller and more delicate. No suckers, only two appendages with which to move himself; how did humans manage like that all the time? In any case, he was at the bottom of the cave and would  _ drown  _ if he didn’t get to the surface that instant (what an odd thing to suddenly become aware of). He tried to turn back to the twins, struggling at the bottom, and realized he couldn’t speak underwater anymore. Not without water flowing into his lungs. With the water already irritating the inside of his body, Azul turned away from them. He could always take some more air and come back for them, if they needed it. Using his arms to propel himself upwards, he managed to push himself upwards against the long, narrow walls of the cave. Having eight legs to propel himself with would have been preferable in this situation, as reluctant as he was to admit it, but there was no helping it now.

Azul’s first breath of air felt like pure relief.  _ Never  _ had he thought breathing in the salty ocean air would be so comforting. The late afternoon sky radiated bluer than the sea below it and the sun burned bright overhead. Azul noticed that the spell had also given him a long, white tunic to wear (so thankfully, he didn’t have to be nude in front of his friends). It was thin enough to float around in the water, but not see-through. Before he caught himself getting distracted, Azul jumped back into the water to check on Floyd and Jade. Luckily, he didn’t have to stage an intervention, since Jade was coming up just behind with Floyd in his arms. When they surfaced, Azul saw the pain in Floyd’s scrunched-up face. The new body and the new sensations that came with it, lungs burning, the water hitting one’s eyes, had probably overstimulated him. Azul couldn’t get over how tender it looked. With their new faces, they truly seemed like declawed predators. There was no sign of the birthmarks that had been on their faces or the spotted patterns that had mottled their skin. Jade held Floyd for a while before letting him float on his back.

“So now is the time we were supposed to swim? I don’t think we’re all feeling up to it.” Jade said seriously. He was right, but suddenly Azul realized that humans didn’t have mucus layers to protect themselves from the elements. Staying out in the sun wouldn’t do them any favors either.

These bodies weren’t made for swimming. The trio figured that out quickly. After waking Floyd and motivating him to try and swim in his new body, they were faced with the task of trying to figure out the best way to get themselves onto the shore. Azul settled on a butterfly-style stroke (not that he would know the name for it) to propel himself across the water, while Floyd and Jade used their legs to propel themselves. After what felt like hours of paddling and fighting against the water, the boys turned up on land, spurting and coughing, but alive. For some reason, Azul felt much lighter than before, like a burden was lifted from him. In truth, it was the lack of pressure from the water that was making him feel that way, even if it hadn’t crossed his mind. 

Before they could do anything else, Floyd let out a wail and keeled over into a fetal position. All of this had pushed him to the absolute edge. And it had slipped their mind that changing pressures so rapidly would cause gas bubbles to form in their blood, making them feel even more uncomfortable. 

Azul tried to prop himself up on his newfound appendages, yet felt nothing but pins and needles in his legs, and fell over onto the ground.  _ Figures. _ Out of curiosity, he gave a brief look downwards and the results were, frankly, quite incredible. Not like he expected anything less. In general, he supposed he was pretty average looking for a human, but he had few examples to compare himself to. 

“This sad look isn’t like you, eh, Floyd?” a familiar voice rang out. Jade, somehow, was standing in front of Floyd’s crumpled body, and held out a hand for him to get up.

It was hard to see before, but standing upright it was clear that the two eels-turned-human were massive by land creature standards. Not a surprise considering how long they were as eels. Still, they would have towered over most boys their age. They were strong too, with the bodies of experienced swimmers. Azul didn’t know if they were the “blending in on land” type, but really, the two eels had never been the type to blend in with others at all.

“Jade, Floyd. First things first, we’ll need more than these tunics to wear if we want to be on land. Next, I propose we stay together and scope out the area. No running off into any strange places.” Jade smiled in response, and Azul noticed that the potion had not changed his dagger-sharp teeth. 

The beach was not too large, and there was a small town on the coast. Probably the kind that was swamped by tourists in the summer. Not like any time wouldn’t work for what they were planning to do.

...What was it they were planning to do? Azul realized he spent learning how to make the potion that he was now at a loss as to what to do. Deep down, Azul had wanted to see that human boy again, but in reality he probably didn’t live in this town. Wherever “this town” was. Nevertheless, he dragged the twins into town with him.

“Here you go~” Floyd said, holding some swim trunks from the beach.

“Floyd, where did you get those?” Azul asked.

“The ground.” Floyd replied, getting nothing but silence from the both of them. Well, they didn’t have money to pay for any clothes, so this was the alternative...either this or wear nothing but the tunics all day. No thanks.

It seems they had been closest to the market district. Well, that wasn’t so bad, even if the amount of other people there was stifling. Merpeople sometimes grouped together, but it had never felt this crowded. On land, they could only go in a few directions at once, not up or down. The sun was radiating overhead: it was just after noon.

The first thing Floyd caught sight of was not the crowds, or the shops, but a street musician, playing the saxophone. Floyd always loved music, enough that he had started a band with Azul and Jade. He had never seen an instrument that shone gold like that. The player was intrigued by the happy-looking boy that had taken an interest in him, but he kept on playing. Floyd felt the melody and tried some very awkward dance moves on his new legs, which was enough to make him smile with his eyes.

Jade had walked ahead and was inspecting the outside of a jewelry store. There was a spiral necklace made out of sea glass in the display. How he wanted to wear something like that. If only sand dollars could be exchanged for land currency. 

Well, this was fantastic, Azul thought. Only half an hour and the three of them were split up already. As much as he loved the company of the two eels, it seemed like they brought trouble wherever they went. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted himself in a window. He didn’t like to toot his own horn (except when it came to magical ability), but...that magic really was stunning. Truly, like this, he blended in. No mobility problems. No tentacles. Just a slender young boy. He could get used to this, if only it wasn’t just for a day. He did notice that his reflection was blurry. In fact, the whole world around him was blurry. What was with that? It seems that all the magic in the world didn’t help his specialized vision adjust to the land.

In the center of the shopping district was a sort of park with trees and a grass enclosure. Jade had decided to visit it to stave off the urge to window-shop. But instead of resting, Jade was eyeing the plants growing at the base of the willow tree. Truly, he had never seen things such as them before; blinding white, long stalks with a cap covering them. His first instinct was to reach out and grab one of them, but something told him they couldn’t be easily picked, like flowers. Besides, land plants could be poisonous after all. He would have to learn if there was anything he could figure out about them back when he was underwater.

The rest of the day was made up of the kind of brief, fleeting moments that you would look back on with nostalgia even years later. Azul wasn’t sure what to do so he played chess in the park until he got tired of it and went to look for Jade and Floyd again. He noticed that the humans generally stayed away from them, even when like this. How?...Was his natural charisma not enough? Maybe it was just because they came off as beggars.

Suddenly, Azul spotted Floyd on the roof of a nearby building.

“How did you get up there?” Azul called out to him.

“The people we got our shorts from chased me, Azul! No need to worry, they’re aaaall taken care of!” Floyd replied. Azul didn’t like the sound of that.

“And you decided to go on top of the buildings?” Azul said.

“It was to get away, Azul! A-are you mad at me?” Floyd sounded confused. Truly, Azul didn’t know what to think. He took a deep breath before continuing.

“We’ll need to plan to go soon since the spell ends at sundown. Find out a way to get down from there.” Azul said as calmly as he could. Floyd gave him a thumbs up and bounced off a wall into a windowsill and onto a garbage can in order to get himself down. 

“How did you...do that?” Azul had never expected Floyd to be so agile this early.

“It’s not hard Azul. You’ve just got to know your limits!” Floyd giggled. The two of them found Jade on a street corner, looking bemused. 

“I was having a conversation with a young woman, but I smiled at her and she seemed afraid and walked away. I wonder why?” Jade thought out loud.

“Jade...humans don’t have pointed teeth…” was all Azul could get out in reply.

“Oh, really? What a shame.” Whether Jade was being sarcastic or really just forgot that, Azul didn’t know.

The sun was getting far lower in the sky. Azul didn’t know if the spell would last until the end of the day, or the evening, but he was already feeling itches on his legs-a telltale sign that the spell would reverse. Floyd amused himself by having a conversation with Jade, who was staring at the horizon. He had always loved focusing on peaceful things like that. The three of them were back at the beach, wondering how to end their little adventure. A cruise ship was sailing by. How strange it was to think that if he were going through his usual routine, the ship would be above him instead of in front of him.

“Azul!” Floyd interrupted his train of thought. “For you.” He dumped something into Azul’s hand. Something wet. When Azul opened his hand, there was a golden coin, of a type he didn’t recognize. “This came in from the water. I know you like them.” Azul rushed out a quick thank-you, while a blush spread across his face as he pocketed the coin.

When he once again felt pins and needles in his legs, Azul knew it was time to return to the ocean. The trio jumped into the water and swam as far out as they could (transforming in front of humans would be awkward) to get away from the crowds.

Contrary to what he thought, reverting to his old self was easy. The tentacles grew and swelled out of his hips. His skin darkened and changed hues, changing texture and color at a rapid pace. His clothes were torn to shreds from the transformation Something deep inside him wanted to fight against it; there was so much more he could have done! But it was futile. 

“Azul! Thank you.” Floyd said sincerely, rolling over and floating on his back, completely transformed back into a merman.

“Yes. Thank you for the fun time.” Jade echoed back. Azul got emotional and hoped the three of them could stay friends, forever. Until they turned into sea foam on the sea’s surface.


	4. Night Ravens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the trio accept fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so, SO much for all the positive responses to this fic. It really means a lot to me :) I think the next chapter will be the last, and then I'll move onto shorter projects. Make sure to subscribe if you want to see more Octavinelle headcanons!

Azul’s 16th birthday came and went. Jade and Floyd always liked to tease him about being younger than them, since his birthday came just a few months after theirs. And their 16th year was important; it meant applying to secondary school. At their families’ insistence, all of them applied to as many magic schools as they could in the sea (not many, but it was what they had to work with). But in truth, everyone in their grade was talking about being accepted to Night Raven College. The all-boys college had no enrollment process or acceptance letters. Being sent there was a matter of fate that any prospective wizard hoped to be blessed with. Little did they know, three of the most unexpected candidates would be the ones chosen.

The carriage descended upon the ocean floor during lunch break. It barely resembled the carriage described in the legends. There were no horses pulling it, but there was a motor at the bottom. Its body was covered in a sleek black skin, magic pulsing through it like veins.

A voice came from the inside of the carriage; presumably from a speaker, but even being dulled by the walls of the carriage, it was still far too loud.

_ The following students have been chosen to attend Night Raven College. _

_ Azul Ashengrotto _

_ Floyd Leech _

_ Jade Leech _

_ That is all. _

Everyone started talking and whispering to each other.

“That octopus boy was chosen? The one who stole my friend’s magic power?”

“Those eel bullies get to go to such a fancy school?” 

One merman let out a sob as he realized he would never get to go to the school he had dreamed of.

The trio were hesitant as they went up to the amphibious carriage. “Hey, how are we gonna cope with going to school on the surface?” Floyd asked. It wouldn’t be as easy as just going in, since Night Raven was above water.

“You have a point, Floyd. Why don’t we see if there’s an attendant inside and ask?” Jade replied.

“How will we get inside?” Azul asked. The opening was quite small and probably wouldn’t easily accommodate their large bodies. 

Surprisingly, the speaker let out a crackle of static once again. The voice that came out was deep, sonorous and commanding.

_ “Usually there is no attendant in this ‘carriage’, but for this special case, I have been allowed to assist you. I teach alchemy at Night Raven College, and I’m glad to...ahem,  _ help  _ you with your aquatic appearances. Ashengrotto, both Leeches, reveal yourselves. If you need to, you can use the hatch on the top.”  _

Azul was brave enough to go in first, using his tentacles to balance himself and grab onto the top of the submarine. He maneuvered himself inside (going into small, dark places was always easy for him) and found the pilot of the submarine. There was a lanky adult man with black-and-white hair and one of the gaudiest fur coats Azul had ever seen.

“Take this!” the professor said to Azul, tossing him a flask. Moving around in this moisture-less area was hard for Azul, so he grabbed the vial in one of his tentacles and inspected it.

“This is…”

“A human transformation potion.” the professor didn’t even let Azul finish his sentence. “You’re welcome.”

Azul used it (years of using it had made the transformation so much more seamless) and waved to Floyd and Jade through the windows of the submarine, showing them it was safe. The two of them followed close behind,a little more slowly. The professor’s appearance reminded Floyd of those black-and-white striped fishes he sometimes found swimming around the coral.

“I have neglected to introduce myself. I am Divus Crewel, a teacher of alchemy, a subject which you are, no doubt, familiar with. From now on, the three of you are students of the prestigious Night Raven College. Are you ready, my little dogfish?” The professor went on. It was enough to make the trio snap into attention. He had such a commanding presence it was hard to not lean on every word he said.

“Y-yes, Mr. Crewel.” Azul choked out. Mr. Crewel chuckled darkly and started the motor on the submarine, making a loud noise. He prepared the machine and the four of them blared off to more open waters. As they advanced, Azul couldn’t help but notice they were traveling higher and higher to the surface of the ocean.

“Where are we going, Professor?” Azul managed to ask.

‘Night Raven, my dear boy, where else?” He replied, clearly high off adrenaline. As they breached, Divus conjured a portal for the submarine to enter. Floyd and Jade took their seats and held on to each other as best they could, as they knew it would be landing soon.

They crashed down through the magic portal in what appeared to be a lake. It seemed like the whole vehicle lurched forward; why surface if they were going to another underwater place anyways, Azul thought, but he quickly threw that aside. There wasn’t much going on in the land around it; a mostly flat landscape with some willow trees. It felt nostalgic.

“It isn’t ideal to appear in one of the dorms like this, but it’s better than landing on the regular campus…” Crewel mumbled to himself.

“Wait...this is a dorm?” Azul asked.

“Doesn’t look like any dorm I’ve ever seen-isn’t any dorm at all.” Floyd said, straightening himself. There was little around but the lake.

“Astute observation, Floyd.” Jade replied only half-jokingly.

“That’s what I thought you would say. Look underneath the water.” Crewel announced as snidely as he could, to make them seem extra dumb for questioning him.

Azul looked below the water’s surface; it was crystal clear. Beneath them was an underwater castle built out of lilac stone, protected by an airtight bubble. From what he knew about Night Raven College, this had to be Octavinelle: the dorm founded in the name of the sea witch. The very same one from Atlantica. The castle was flanked by numerous spires and towers filled with ever more dorm rooms and lounges. To the right of the main building laid an enclave with a smaller building: he wondered what such a place would be used for. A few students were milling about the dorm, very small from this perspective, but still noticeable as black dots. They all seemed human, yet were able to breathe underwater...the work of a spell. Though, considering this school, they could in all likelihood be fae, shapeshifters, or merpeople like themselves. Being in a dorm with other merpeople would be nice, he thought. 

An odd silence descended over the party. “You know, Professor, you’ve been very quiet. Isn’t there supposed to be some kind of fanfare or entrance ceremony for us?” The black-and-white man got out of his chair suddenly, clearly with something on his mind.

“Well… there  _ would  _ have been if that  _ dunce  _ of a boss had a better plan for bringing over merboy students than taking a damned submarine to the Octavinelle dorm…” he kept on grumbling to himself about this “boss’s” incompetence. There was no easy way to get out or do anything else, so they waited for a chance to interrupt him.

“How will we get to the main campus from here? This surely isn’t it.” Jade mused.

Crewel perked up at that and turned around from the cockpit. “Ah, that. The dorms exist in their own contained realities, and we use teleportation portals to travel between them and the main building. You would do well to familiarize yourself with all of them.” He clearly enjoyed the chance to talk about something he knew well. It occurred to him that they would have to submerge once again in order to make it to the portal. What a mess. They really needed a garage for this sort of thing. Maintaining the horse-drawn carriage was complicated enough. “Strap yourselves down, dogfish. We’re going on another ride.

The way Mr. Crewel drove the submarine was nothing short of jarring-it felt as though he was driving a bumpy wooden carriage-not at all like gliding through the ocean. The four of them used the hatch on the side of the submarine to exit it and make their way through the ornate mirror that would guide them to the main building. 

The initial hall was nothing special, very quaint, but that was when it really hit them: they were in one of the most prominent magical schools in the world. So many in their class had wanted to be here, and didn’t manage it. And then another realization came.

“When will we have to write back to our parents about this?” Azul asked.

“No need.” Crewel replied. “They have already been notified. You will have the option to return home during breaks.”  _ Like vacations? _ Jade and Floyd weren’t sure if they could handle only seeing their parents a few times a year. Hopefully it wouldn’t work out that way.

“We’re going to see the headmaster first. He can get you set up here and then I can  _ wash _ my hands of all this.” the professor poorly attempted a water pun. It wasn’t very funny.

The headmaster's office was much more ornate than the surrounding rooms would imply: green wallpaper, checkered tile floor, dozens of probably priceless artifacts on display.

“Welcome, residents of the Coral Sea! Come in, come in!” the headmaster beckoned to them. He was wearing a mask with a long, protruding beak, and yet Azul could see the smile in his eyes still.

“I am Dire Crowley, please, call me Headmaster.” the man said cheerily.

The discussion between them was amiable, Azul and Jade described the steps they had taken to get there (and the fact that the submarine/carriage was still parked at the dorm) while Floyd started at the clock.

“Now, about your dorm situation. I know this is a very, very large thing to ask, but as Night Raven is mostly a school on land, you’ll need to retain your human forms around the clock. I’ll supply a steady stream of ingredients so you can keep coming to school as humans. Because I’m so nice.” He smiled with his beady yellow eye holes again. Creepy. 

“With all due respect, how will we see our families again?” Jade asked.

“You won’t.” Crowley said darkly. Noticing their reactions, he went on. “I...well, of course you can go to see them on breaks! Simply let the potion wear off.”

“No, I mean we got here through a portal. How will we get back?” Jade said as nicely as he could, a polite smile on his face.

“Oh... _ oh.”  _ The realization clicked and Crowley realized they hadn’t been to the Hall of Mirrors yet. He took a deep breath in and said “Night Raven has a central hub in which many different magical portals lie. You can use those to return home.” He had a feeling these three weren’t done with questions.

“But what dorm will we be in?” Floyd butted in.

“Don’t expect me to just tell you.” Crowley said with a fake haughty tone. “That is for the magic mirror to decide.”

“You mean  _ the  _ Magic Mirror? Used by Queen Grimhilde?” Jade asked. Azul didn’t know exactly what he was talking about, but it seemed important. Looks like he should’ve paid attention in history.

“Yes. Seems like someone paid attention in history.” Crowley replied. Jade chuckled darkly. 

The clock chimed 4 PM, interrupting their conversation. “Well, there’s already so much I’d like to know about you three, but, unfortunately, my office hours have just ended. I have magical pens for each of you, but be warned that any time after this is my own.” Crowley announced.

The rest of the day was focused on getting them enrolled and distributing the boys’ magical pens. Later that night would be the entrance ceremony, where they would get sorted into a dorm. Until then, the three of them went to the cafeteria to rest and wait.

Azul had that unfamiliar experience of feeling like he fit in with everyone else again.


	5. Daybreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the entrance ceremony is conducted and a mysterious building is found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally at the last chapter :') I spent almost a month on this and I'm so happy about how it turned out! Thanks you to everyone who left kudos or even just looked at this fanfic, it literally means the world to me that people like my weird pesudo-Disney character headcanons! I'll definitely write more, but I had too many ideas that just didn't fit the theme of this one. Dealing with all the paranoia, unrest, and stresses of this time period has been stressful but I'm glad we on ao3 can over come it together!!

The night was terribly lonely without the sounds of the ocean around. Yes, there was the wind, but its sounds were barely there, and it made the outside colder. The ceremony was held at night, but the robes did not make anyone feel warmer.

The Hall of Mirrors was not just decorated with mirrors and magical artifacts, but also with a long string of coffins. The land-people used them to store the bodies of the dead, so Azul had heard. Ghastly. Then he remembered he was supposed to be a land-person, now, and straightened his posture, unafraid to look at the coffins. There was no one in them, after all (he hoped). 

“Jade Leech!” The headmaster called out, signaling him to the magic mirror. It was difficult to get robes that fit them, and since the ceremony was held on such short notice, there was no option to get them tailored. They simply got the extra-large to accommodate their height, but it didn’t account for them being so thin, so the fabric hung off of them in bunches. Azul’s medium-sized robe was loose, but luckily it came with a belt he could tighten. Now that he had the physique for it, he preferred a tight silhouette.

Both Jade and Floyd were sorted into Octavinelle. Now, a lot of people wouldn’t see Floyd as the shrewd, calculating type. Nor was Jade seen as the business type. But Azul knew differently. When they put their minds to it, they could do anything. And besides, the sea witch was from their very own ocean. It occurred to him that he didn’t know of anyone else from his area that got sent to NRC. He wondered if anyone else in Octavinelle was a merperson.

Floyd seemed upset as he walked back to where Azul and Jade stood after being sorted.

“I wanted to be in the Savanaclaw dorm.” Floyd pouted.

Jade chuckled at that. “I didn’t know you could be so fond of land animals.”

“It’s not that. I just thought I would...fit in with them better.” Floyd stopped explaining there. “But I guess...the dorm where Jade is is the best dorm for me.” He perked up a bit. He had a point. Savanaclaw was known most for its athletes, and both of the twins definitely had an easy time with athletic pursuits. Enviably so, really.

“Azul Ashengrotto.” Crowley’s eyes did the weird smiling expression again. Suddenly, he felt queasy. He was almost entirely sure he would be sorted into Octavinelle (if the magic mirror knew what bias was) and he couldn’t stand the comparisons that would be made. For his entire life, merpeople had been likening him to the sea witch, just for being an octopus. No matter how caring some claimed she was, Azul wanted his success to be on his own terms; the thought of being presumed the same as her made him recoil. Just about everyone at Night Raven knew the legends, so there was no escaping it. _Wait a moment,_ Azul thought as he stepped into the center of the room. _The other students don’t know I’m an octopus, though._ If there really was no one else from the Coral Sea here, he could hide it and just be another student. Of course, how had he not thought of this before!

The magic mirror went silent at his presence.

“Incredible...a real octopus mermaid. I thought your kind only existed in legends.” It said to the silent room. Well, there went that plan. The mirror had seen right through his magical disguise. Either that, or Crowley had talked about him. Said headmaster looked excited. Some whispers could be heard among the crowd for a moment. Frankly, it baffled Azul that anyone would be so surprised by his existence. Octopus mermaids were as common as redheads were on land, it wasn’t like they were some secret. He was lucky the mirror had at least a shard of tact and didn’t take the subject further. “The shape of your soul is that of a shrewd businessman. There is no question, it is Octavinelle where you will find yourself.” the mirror announced. Of course. Rigged from the start. He stepped down and went back to Jade and Floyd with his head down. Well, at least he would still get to live underwater.

The rest of the entrance ceremony was as boring as it was unpredictable. Standing in the row behind them were two very rowdy boys. Azul briefly remembered them as being sorted into Scarabia. The crowd started filing out and mingling with each other, since there wasn’t much of the ceremony left. The smaller Scarabia boy waved at Azul and smiled as the trio was walking to the back of the room. The one next to him looked over disapprovingly.

“You three are the merpeople, right? Have fun going to school on land!” the smaller one called to them. It was enough to make Azul stop in his tracks. The other boy turned harshly to the one who spoke up.

“Asim, that was very disgraceful. An heir should not speak so rudely to those of other nations. Furthermore…” he kept nagging. In all honesty, Azul was just surprised someone was so forward with talking to them. His old reputation ruined any chance of someone new acting so friendly to him. Seeing an opportunity, he turned around and went over to the two Scarabia boys.

“Thank you. My name is Azul Ashengrotto, and these are my friends Jade and Floyd.” The eels didn’t really know how to react to this sudden turn of events, so Floyd gave a little wave back.

“I’m Kalim Al-Asim, nice to meet you!” the boy said again with a smile on his face. Seemed like a fancy, important name, but Azul knew very little about land customs. The bejeweled turban he wore around his head was definitely indicative of some kind of wealth, though. Fascinating. The other student he was with looked somewhat similar to him; could they be brothers sent to the same school?

“Introduce yourself, Jamil!” Kalim poked him lightly. 

Jamil let out a sigh and said “...Jamil Viper. I’m the servant of Kalim here. _Pleased_ to make your acquaintance.” He gave a small bow out of habit.

“C’mon, Jamil, we’re supposed to be peers here, right?” Kalim cajoled him.

“Yes, but-”

“Servant? Are you some sort of...royalty?” Jade asked, walking towards Kalim. Now they were interested.

“Nah, my father just has a lot of money and a big house. You know how it is.” Kalim tried to play off his wealth, but frankly none of them knew how it was. So there was truly someone of such a high status enrolled there...Azul wanted to know more about this Kalim and this servant that he treated so well. 

“Anyways, we’re both regular first-years here, just like you are! Don’t hesitate to talk to us anytime!” Kalim really liked to break silences, it seemed. 

Now that the eels were closer, Kalim and Jamil could see their full heights better-easily 180 centimeters or more. This was an opportunity.

“I wanted to sign up for the basketball team. Would any of you be interested?” Jamil said, looking up at Floyd and Jade to emphasize their height. Floyd perked up a bit at that. Kalim had never been interested in basketball, despite Jamil’s insistence they do activities together.

“Maybe~” Floyd replied in a way that almost definitely meant yes.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent exploring the Octavinelle dorm. It truly had a confusing construction, with dorm rooms and lunges placed haphazardly in many cylindrical buildings. It felt odd being able to breathe underwater as humans. They moved into their rooms-luckily the three of them were very close to each other, though not as close as Floyd would have liked. They were surprisingly plain compared to the rest of the dorm-just white walls and wooden floors.

But next to the main building, there was a structure that seemed almost alien. It had the appearance of a lizard with a gaping mouth for an entrance. Azul decided to ask one of the upperclassmen on his floor about it.

“That building is abandoned.” the third year answered, “It used to be a dining hall, but ever since the main cafeteria was built, everyone just goes there.” So every dorm might have had their own dining hall at one point. Well, it was certainly more cost-effective the way it was now. Even so, Azul couldn’t help but wonder if this was an opportunity. He knew what running a restaurant was like from helping his parents. Maybe asking Crowley for permission to run a snack bar here could be his little extracurricular project. The small, dark building definitely suited his tastes more than the rest of the dorm did.

* * *

It took a long while for anyone to ask Azul for something again. For a while, he didn’t stand out very much at all. Azul always had a much less dominating presence than Jade and Floyd, he’d admit. To get what he wanted, he’d have to use extra force. Such was the way of an unfair world. 

He told the other students to come to him for anything-maybe it had come off as too brotherly?

Just before his last period of the day, alchemy, another freshman came up to him in the hallway. 

“Azul...can we share notes? Mr. Crewel is so hard on me already and it’s only a few days into the year…” he said, not knowing what he was doing.

“Oh, but can you give me something in return?” Azul asked back. It was only fair.

I’ll...I’ll definitely give you something back. I just don’t know what it is yet.” The boy was taken aback.

“We can work out the details later. It’s a deal.” Azul shook the poor, confused boy’s hand.

Floyd and Jade would be ecstatic to hear about this.


End file.
